Raised by Turtles
by SuntoryAngel
Summary: "I was in the middle of my late evening meditation when my four sons began to make loud exclamations. They rushed past me with quick words of returning soon. Little did I know that our lives were about to change. That, my dear, is when you entered our lives."-Master Splinter Rated K for mild swearing. Please give it a try! (Twin to "My Four Guardians")
1. Prologue

Hello, everyone! Here's my first attempt at a TMNT FF! My husband and I both love the turtles, so I decided to give it a try! We absolutely love the old movies and series! I myself prefer the animated 2003 version, without the traveling into space. Anyway, I don't own rights! Please read and review!

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 **Prologue**

Raphael POV

We silently worked our way to the top of the apartment complex on 12th and Gardenia St. It was about six stories high, way smaller than the towering skyscrapers around it, which made it near impossible for an air approach. Like the ninjas that we were, though, that was no problem. "Donnie," I whispered, peeking over the ledge and onto the roof. "What's the situation?"

The slim turtle to my far left wearing a purple mask held up his wrist, allowing his watch to scan the perimeter. "There are ten humans up there, seven holding firearms and the other three are unarmed." Donnie reported quietly, the display from his watch disappearing as he gripped his staff.

"Donnie, Mikey, and I will take care of the armed ones," the turtle wearing a blue mask to my immediate right whispered. His name was Leonardo, our self-proclaimed leader. "Raph, you-"

"No way am I going to be left out of the action." I growled, fixing him with a heated glare. "I'm not going to stay here and twiddle my thumbs while keeping an eye out for incoming-" My words screeched to a halt as the air was pierced with the sound of gunshots and a scream. Without wasting another second, I leapt into action, closely followed by my brothers. I lashed out at the closest goon, knocking his feet out from under him and sending him over the roof's edge with a heave.

"Careful, these guys aren't slackers!" Leo yelled, easily blocking two blows and kicking another goon in the chest.

I spun around in time to dodge a swing and retaliate with my own swift slug to their stupid masked face. "Come on, I haven't even broken a sweat." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small shape backing towards the roof ledge, pursued by two much larger figures.

A woman dressed in a pair of slacks with red heels and v-neck top was screaming something from where she was wrestling with another masked figure, her eyes locked on the smaller figure. "Leave her alone!"

A kid?! I leapt forward as the two larger figures suddenly shoved the smaller, sending it reeling down toward the concrete ground. Without even thinking, I dove right after it, the yells of my brothers filling the air. I reached for it, stretching out my arm as far as it would go...and drew it into my plastron as the concrete rose to meet us. To my surprise, it was very small and even lighter than I expected it. Her dark hair was long and messy, hiding her face from view. The light blue dress with star-like patterns confirmed that she was a girl.

"Raph!" Mikey, my final brother that wears an orange mask, landed next to me. "We have to get out of here!"

"The cops will be here any second! We have to move!" Leo warned, appearing on my left. His eyes narrowed. "What are you holding?"

Donnie rushed forward, his watch scanning the little human in my arms. "She's stable, but only just. We can drop her off at an orphanage or a hospital before we head back."

"What about her parents?" I asked, looking upward at the roof. When silence answered me, I looked back down at the sleeping girl in my arms. She looked so small and frail, it was hard to believe that she had just fallen from a six-story drop. A strange feeling wormed its way into my chest the longer I stared at her, making me feel more and more uncomfortable. What if she had no other family? What if the orphanages didn't treat her right? I shook my head, wondering where in the hell these weird feelings and questions were coming from. We all froze as she shifted in her sleep, her tiny arms wrapping around the arm that held her. "I think we should take her with us." I raised my head, locking eyes with Leo. "I think she'd be safer with us than at any orphanage or hospital."

He gave me a stern look. "Master Splinter won't approve, and you know it."

"Come on," I exasperated, the sound of sirens getting closer and closer by the second. "Look at her. What chance does she have in this city by herself? After this incident, the humans will treat her different and make her life miserable."

Donnie and Mikey shared a look, nodding sympathetically. "He's right."

Leo exhaled, pointing a finger in my direction. "Fine, but she is your responsibility." He turned, preparing to lead the way down a manhole cover, then slowly turned back to me. "The mother told me her name and made me swear to protect her," he said, finally looking down at her. "Ninja's keep their word, and I fully plan to keep it."

"So?" I raised an eyebrow. "What's her name?"

He spun and dove down the manhole cover. "I'll tell you when we get there."

I sighed, running a hand over my face, growling under my breath. "Dammit, Leo..." Making sure that she was tucked closely to my body, I dove in after him, closely followed by my two younger brothers.


	2. Red, Blue, Purple, Orange Turtle

Hello, everyone! I have another chapter for you! I don't own rights!

Please enjoy and leave a review if you like it!

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 **Red Turtle, Blue Turtle, Purple Turtle, Orange Turtle**

Master Splinter POV

"What were you thinking?" I scolded as my sons returned. They sheepishly hung their heads, but remained oddly quiet. "The sun is nearly up and-" My words died as Raphael approached, the dim lights revealing a small human in his arms. I narrowed my eyes but remained silent, knowing that my sons would soon "fill me in".

...

Leonardo POV

"Master," I stepped forward, casting a glance back at my oddly quiet brother.

"So, there were these bad guys attacking these other three guys," Mikey jumped in, placing himself in front of Raph. "Then there was this little one, she fell off the building and Raph, like, dove after her and caught her at the last second. Talk about a close call."

"Her family were..." Donnie stepped up next to Raph's left, casting a worried glance at the girl. He didn't have to finish that sentence, I could see understanding in Master's eyes. My brother's watch beeped and a monitor appeared, showing a heart line that was steadily rising. "She's waking up."

We all fell silent as she began to stir, the lids of her eyes rising to reveal sapphire colored orbs.

...

Raphael POV

I nervously looked to Master as the little human began to wiggle, mouthing "What do I do?!" He remained silent. I nearly jumped out of my shell as she sat up and fixed me with dark blue eyes. She blinked once, twice, three times...but stayed quiet. My entire body froze as she reached up and touched my face, her small fingers brushing my cheek.

"Turtle!" she smiled, clapping her hands. Her voice was light and high-pitched, ringing off the walls as if she herself was a bell; a very LOUD bell. "Red turtle, blue turtle," she pointed to Leo. "Purple turtle," she pointed to Donnie. "Orange turtle!" She finished, grinning as she pointed at Mikey. Clapping her hands, she turned to Master. For a second we thought she was going to cry as her eyes widened, but instead of tears they filled with shock. "Big rat!" She threw her arms up above her head, her smile unwavering.

I raised an eyebrow and casted a look at Donnie. "Is there something wrong with her? She isn't screaming!"

Donnie shrugged, shaking his head. "I couldn't tell you, maybe she's used to seeing mutated creatures."

"That's a load of-!" My words screeched to a halt as she climbed up my plastron. "Hey, I'm not a jungle gym!" She plopped down on my shoulder, her arms wrapping around my neck as she stroked my skin. "What are you-!"

"It seems that she's taken a liking to you, my son," Master stepped up, cautiously examining her. "She looks very young, much too young to be on her own." He blinked as she caught sight of his tail and began swaying in time with it. He chuckled as I flinched, her little nails digging into my shoulder as she nearly toppled over, and placed her behind my head.

"Aren't you the cutest!" Mikey suddenly appeared to my right, his hands reaching for her.

She ducked, using my head as a shield as I smacked his outstretched hands away. "Back off, dude." I glared at him as something wet began to trickle down the back of my neck. "Now look what you did, she's crying!" I reached up and awkwardly patted her head. "Uh...there, there."

"Why are you hiding?" He coaxed, peeking at her and lowering his voice just a tad. "We won't hurt you."

Her grip on my face tightened, pulling my cheeks upward, but she stayed quiet.

"Hey," Donnie slowly approached from behind Master, holding a bottle of water. "Are you thirsty?" I could literally feel her stomach growl as she peered around my head. "Want some water?" He handed the bottle to me, motioning for me to hand it to her.

"Um, here." I held it up, sighing in relief as she released my face and focused on drinking the water. Turning my attention to Mikey again. "Next time, be slower, like a real turtle."

He visibly withered. "I was just trying to be friendly..." He suddenly perked, running to the kitchen and reappearing with a plate bearing a slice of stuffed crust pizza. Moving slower this time, he held out the plate to her. "Here, I bet you're hungry."

I looked down and my jaw dropped. "Hey! That's the last slice of my garlic parmesan with bacon and toasted parmesan stuffed crust pizza!" My anger subsided as she slid from behind my head to sit on my shoulder, taking the pizza slice and tearing it in half. I blinked as she held out the bigger half.

"Aww look," Mikey gushed, lightly smacking Donnie's she'll and Leo coughed, attempting to hide his chuckle. "Don't they look cute?"

"S-Shut up!" I sputtered, taking the slice and eating it quickly.

"Tell me, young one," Master stepped forward and gently whipped her face with a clean cloth, earning a giggle. "What is your name?"

She smiled, her little arms wrapping around my neck again for security. "Suntory, Mr. Rat."

"Well," he chuckled. "My name is Splinter, and these turtles are my sons." He nodded to each of us in turn as he said our names. "The 'blue turtle' is my oldest, Leonardo; the 'purple turtle' is my middle son, Donatello; the 'orange turtle' is my youngest and the biggest handful, Michelangelo; last but not least," he smiled as she rubbed her cheek against my own. "The one you have taken a liking to is Raphael."

"Leo, Donnie, Mikey," she repeated, pointing to each in turn. She must have heard our nicknames at some point, I mused. "Raphael." She finished, rubbing her face into my cheek.

"So?" I looked to Master. "Is she allowed to stay?"

He instantly grew serious, stroking his chin. "The humans will be looking for her. Not to mention that there are orphanages that can take her in."

"Then why did you ask her name?" I argued, narrowing my eyes. "Why introduce ourselves if she's going back to live with the humans?" It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw a strange glint in his eyes at my words. "April and Casey could help us raise her."

"You do make a valid point, my son," he nodded. Turning his attention to the girl, he held our his arms, smiling as she willingly slid from my shoulder and into his arms. "Then I welcome you, Suntory, to our home."


	3. Feeling Right at Home

Hello, everyone! Here's another chapter for you **!** I had some extra time on my hands from going on trips lately and had time to write this one up! Hope you enjoy!

I don't own rights!

Please leave a review!

* * *

 **Feeling Right at Home**

Master Splinter POV

"For the last time," I grumbled, casting my youngest son a somewhat heated look as she cried. "She is still too young to be be rough housed with." She ran to me, giant tears trickling down her cheeks and a big bruise beginning to appear on her right leg. I lifted her into the air, checking her for any other injuries. "There, there," I cooed, placing her back on her feet and wiping her tears away. "It's just a bruise, young one." Her tears soon ceased as I gently rubbed her back.

 **...**

Donnie POV

I face palmed as MIkey asked what he had done wrong for the sixth time in under ten minutes, Master and I applying cream to the scratches on her knees. "She's a six-year old human, Mikey, you have to be more gentle. That means no buck-buck."

A lightbulb went off in my head. "Suntory likes to draw, don't you?" I asked, smiling as she disappeared into my lab and returned with the picture she had drawn earlier today. It was the four of us turtles, Master Splinter, and herself.

"How did you know about that?" Leo asked from where he was sparring, pausing to take a look at the picture.

"I caught her in my lab looking for paper, and she went on a coloring spree when I gave her a few packages of Crayola colored pencils." I explained, smiling as she hopped into Raph's lap and practically shoved the picture into his face, earning a grunt. "She has quite a knack for it, and may become a great artist herself one day."

"If you say anything that would compare her to any of our namesakes," Raph growled, returning to his meditative position. "I'm gonna throw something at you."

My mouth closed, but I couldn't help the small smirk that played across my lips.

 **...**

Mikey POV

How could I have been such a dumbshell?! I should have known better than to suggest that we played buck-buck! _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"Mikey!" My head shot upward and my arms caught her as she flung herself at me, a big grin on her face. "I want to play some more!" She smiled, tugging on my hands. How could she smile when her bed was a broken sofa, her family consisted of a rat and turtles, and her real parents are gone?

I looked over to Leo and Master, earning a nod. They must have been thinking what I was thinking. "I have a better idea," I said, dropping my voice to hushed whisper. She leaned in, her eyes wide and dancing with excitement. "How about you go draw another picture? I'm going to leave for a little bit, but I'll bring a present back for you."

She nodded, her voice still a whisper as she held up her pinky. "Promise?" I smiled, linking our fingers. When I was sure that she had turned her attention to drawing, I slipped up one of the sewer lines.

 _If I was a six year old human girl, what would I want?_ I asked myself as I surveyed the mall layout from the rafters. Clothing was out of the question since I had no clue wha their size was; food would be easy...if I had any idea of what she like. "Think, MIkey, think!" I whispered to myself, racking my brain for anything that might work.

A glint next to one of the kiosks caught my attention, causing a smile to spread across my face. There, on the very edge of the counter, sat two pairs of sunglasses; one was orange with metallic bronze chevron patters, the other hot pink with giant rhinestones. _Of course they had to be right next to the register!_ I groaned, watching the human in charge of the kiosk circle it many times.

I blinked as a black shadow darted past it, and grinned as Leo suddenly appeared next to me. "Yo!" I greeted, my smile growing as he handed over the blue pair. "Awesome! How did you know which color?"

"She was wearing a blue dress when we found her," he explained, waving as he disappeared farther into the mall. "That and I asked her."

 **...**

Leo POV

So Mikey was giving her sunglasses. I smiled as he darted away, holding the sunglasses in his hands gently as if they were made out of gold. Now it was time for my gift. I thought about the list of her favorite colors, inwardly smirking as I recalled her most favorite: blue; 'Sapphire blue, just like my eyes!', she had said.

"Last chance to get 75% off your entire purchase!" A nearby jewelry store clerk shouted, holding up a velvet box. "Free customization, too!"

I didn't have to look any further. Nestled in the silver colored velvet sat a turtle pendant made of what appeared to be silver or white gold and had four stones; a ruby, an amethyst, an amber, and a sapphire. Four stones representing the four of us! I called the store, placed my order, and told them to leave it near the entrance where I could easily pick it up. Not ten minutes later, the clerk skeptically placed the silver box next to the entrance, turned to greet a customer, and I smiled as his jaw dropped at the sight of the cash that I had replaced the box with. Opening it, I read the inscription that I had asked to be engraved, and closed it with a snap. "Perfect."

 **...**

Master Splinter POV

I smirked in satisfaction as April and I observed our handiwork . I had called upon her for assistance with cleaning one of the adjacent rooms and adjusting it to Suntory's liking. The walls were a powder blue with cloud-like decals that were a navy color and gold metallic stars were painted on the ceiling itself to give her the impression that she was truly sleeping under the stars. April had suggested that we used glow-in-the-dark paint to help the stars really shine. There was a fluffy black rug covering the floor and a full-sized bed sat in a corner next to a navy colored dresser. April had recommended bright blue sheets with beige accents and a bronze comforter decorated with sky blue embellishments.

"I think she'll like it." April assured me, smiling. She had been a great help, and I couldn't thank her enough. With a wave, she left to return to the surface in time for her shift.

"It appears that our gifts are finished," I placed the gifts that my sons had chosen on the bed, closed the door, and smiled as Suntory ran to me with another picture. My four sons gathered in the main area as I followed her back to the little nest she had made out of a giant overthrow pillow and her colored pencil sets. They had each found a gift, but I was troubled by my second oldest's lack of interest in what was going on around him. "Raphael?"

He gave me a questioning look. "What?"

My eyes rolled. His cluelessness truly knew no bounds.

 **...**

Suntory POV

I cocked my head as everyone gathered around me. Three of the turtles and Mister Splinter had smiles, but Raphael was looking up at the ceiling. Raising my head, I searched it, wondering if there was anything interesting.

"Suntory," I turned my attention to Mister Splinter as he picked me up and began walking toward one of the side rooms, the turtles following. "We have a surprise for you."

My excitement grew as I saw a door between Raphael and Leo's room. "What's in there?" I asked, beginning to squirm. "Is there something inside it?"

He chuckled, placing me on my feet before the door. "You're a smart one. My sons and I wanted to help you feel a little more comfortable, so we decided to get you a few things that we thought you might like."

I looked up at him, my excitement reaching its boiling point. "Can I go in? Can I go in?" He laughed, gesturing for me to go inside.

Pushing open the door, I felt myself explode with happiness. The room was amazing! I danced around the room, taking in every little detail. The walls were blue, the ceiling had stars, and the rug was FLUFFY! I went to jump on the bed when I noticed there was a pair of sunglasses and a silver box on the pillow.

Putting on the sunglasses, I giggled as Mikey fist pumped the air. I guess these were from him! Running up to him, I threw my arms around him. "Thanks, Mikey!" He wrapped his arms around me and I laughed as he squeezed me tightly. "Can't! Breathe!"

I gasped as he released me and ran back to the bed, reaching for the silver box. I practically squealed, showing them the pretty turtle necklace. Leo stepped up behind me and clasped it around my neck. It hung from a silver chain that reached my chest, a bit on the long side, but it would be the perfect length once I grew up! He turned the turtle over and coaxed me to read the inscription; "We are always with you, even though you may not see us".

"There may be times when you can't see us," he explained, placing his hands on my shoulders. "But I wanted you to always remember that we will always be near you in case you need us."

Throwing my arms around his neck, I gave him a tight squeeze, earning a few strokes on my back. "Thank you, Leo!"

"What do you think?" Mister Splinter asked, gesturing to the room. "Do you think you will be more comfortable now?"

I grinned. "Of course!"

 **...**

Raphael POV

I waited until she had been tucked in for the night and my brothers had disappeared into their rooms before approaching her with my own gift. She was snuggling into the pillow when I walked into her room. Her eyes lit up as I sat next to her bedside, smiling as I pointed out the necklace. "It's from Leo! It has all of colors that you guys wear!"

"You're right," I nodded in agreement. "It sure does." I gently pulled out a package from behind my back, placing it in her lap.

Her jaw dropped. "Even Raphael got me a present?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I did. Now open it up before I take it back." I used Donnie's computer to look up her home address and had found a powder blue pegasus in what was left of her old home. The goons that had been after her and her family had burned down the place, leaving only debris and ashes. In a sense, I gave her the only remaining piece of her life with her parents.

She tore into the brown packaging and started crying, hugging the pegasus to her chest. "Sapphira!" she cried, her tears causing the plush toy's coat to dampen. Raising her head, her tear filled eyes locking with my own briefly before she threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you," she whispered, her warm tears leaving trails across my skin. "Raphael..." Her head fell forward, resting upon my shoulder.

I could tell from her deep breathing that she had fallen asleep, the last of her tears slipping down her cheeks. Carefully, I placed her back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, keeping the pegasus next to her. Maybe being a nice guy every once in a while wasn't so bad...


	4. No More Pizza!

Hello, everyone! Thanks for all the views! Be sure to leave a review if you are enjoying the story so far, I would really appreciate to hear back from my readers. I don't own rights!

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 **No More Pizza?!**

Master Splinter POV

"Now that a human child had come to stay with you, you will need more food other than pizza." April coached from the kitchen. She held up an orange container, opening it and shoving it away with a grimace. "Another thing, you're going to have to go through your refrigerator and make sure that no undiscovered fungi are living in there, mold included. She could get really sick if she was to come into contact with any of them."

I nodded, making notes. This was going to be tough for my sons, but I'm sure they would understand. Casting a caring look over at the couch, I couldn't help but smile at the sight: there was little Suntory snuggling with a navy fleece blanket, and my sons where busy with meditation, sitting in a circle formation around her.

...

Mikey POV

"WHAT?!" I squeaked, three hands slapping themselves over my mouth. We all looked to the couch, sighing in relief when she merely turned to cuddle into the couch. "What do you mean 'no more pizza'?" I continued, looking from April to Master Splinter. "It's our main source of protein!"

"Please, Mikey, you have to understand." April placed her hand on my shoulder. "She needs the proper diet if she's going to grow up."

I wiggled my eyebrows. "Like you?"

She smacked my shell, but smiled. "Anyway, I have some food for her to try when she wakes up from her nap. Be sure to let me know what she likes, okay?" With a wave, she left.

"I guess if it's for Suntory," I sheepishly shrugged. "Then I can go without pizza, at least for a little while."

...

Raphael POV

I rolled my eyes at my younger brother's obsession with pizza. "It's not going to kill you to go without pizza."

A whimper from the couch caught my attention, drawing my gaze to the sleeping girl. Tears were trickling down her cheeks and she was sweating. Walking over and kneeling next to her, I placed a hand on her forehead. Without a word, I made my way to the refrigerator and pulled out a container. After running its contents under the faucet, I grabbed a knife and sliced them up before putting them pieces in the blender. As the pieces were liquified, I placed a few more ingredients in it and poured the concoction into her favorite glass: a frosted glass with golden stars engraved with fancy lettering that said her name. I made my way past my speechless brothers as Master helped her sit up.

"Drink up," I smiled, tilting her head back and trickling some of the contents into her mouth. "You'll feel better."

The second the drink passed through her lips, her eyes opened and she grabbed the glass, nearly spilling it down herself. Master released her and raised a questioning eyebrow as she paused, breathing heavily, then continued to drink.

"It's a vanilla-strawberry-raspberry purée," I explained as she attempted to lick the inside of the glass. "She told me about it the other day. Her mom used to make it for her when she woke up from her naps." I ruffled her hair as she grinned up at me. "It helps her cool down and she loves the taste."

"So this had nothing to do with mold?" Mikey pipped up, his eye wide and hopeful.

"Raphael," Suntory pulled on my hand, her once flushed cheeks returned to normal. "You almost made it like Mommy did!"

"Looks like Raph has a knack with drinks," Donnie chuckled, taking the glass and inspecting the leftover contents. "The strawberry has been a favored fruit with the female gender for centuries-"

"Yeah, yeah," I waved his words away as she climbed up my shell and sat on my shoulder. "You go have fun with the enzymes and what-not. Meanwhile," Suntory and I shared a mischievous look. "We are going to have a little fun with Casey."

...

"Alright," I whispered to her as Casey arrived home. "You remember what to do?"

She nodded, running her fingers through her chocolate colored hair and making it messy to the point where it covered her face. I nudged her to in the right direction as she nearly ran into the wall of the closet where we were hiding. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaady..." she called, making her way to the bed and sitting cross legged while raising her voice in a wave-like pattern. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaady..."

I snickered as the light in the hallway turned on and the sound of footsteps slowly made their way to the bedroom.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaady..." The bedroom door opened to reveal a pale Casey holding up his hockey stick, poised and ready to defend. I could see him start to shake as her head tilted, revealing one of her sapphire orbs. "There you are, Daddy," she whispered, a creepy smile spreading across her face. "I have been waiting for you..." Casey dropped the hockey stick as she stood, her arms outstretched towards him. "Let's play a game, Daddy..."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Casey screamed, running out of the apartment and not bothering to close the door behind him.

Laughing my ass off, I emerged from the closet holding my middle. "That! Was! Perfect!" I gasped, giving her a high-five. "You were awesome, good job!"

Her smile faltered as she rearranged her hair. I picked her up as she outstretched her arms toward me. "Raphael, are ghosts real?"

"Why do you ask?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. Can we go home now?"

...

I jolted awake. My room was dark and it must have been somewhere around 2 a.m. If that was true, then why was I awake? A soft sound came from my left...a sniffle? Squinting, I made out a small dark outline, one that I was very surprised to see. "Suntory?" I whispered, reaching out and placing a hand on her head. "What's the matter?"

She hung her head as her body began to shake. "I thought...I thought I saw Mommy..." she whispered, her voice cracked and the scent of tears filled the room. "I miss her..."

Sighing, I gently pulled her up onto the bed next to me. Why hadn't she gone to Donnie or Leo? I wasn't cut out for this! I steadily grew more and more uncomfortable as she began to cry. "You know what?" I whispered, cupping her face. "You won't like it, but here's the truth: she's never coming back. Your old family is gone." My chest clenched as her body racked with sobs. "But you know what, Suntory? You have a new family. The five of us, six if you want to include April, are your family now."

She leapt forward, burying her face in my neck as her tears overflowed. It was hard to believe that everything she had ever cared for had been ripped from her, especially when she was so young. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

"Raphael?"

"What is it?" I whispered, brushing hair from her face.

Leaning back, she wiped away her tears. "Can I...can I sleep here tonight?"

I drew her to my chest as I lied back against my pillow, making sure that her head rested on the fluffiness corner. Still sniffling, she held something fleece-like to her chest and I realized that it was Sapphira, her stuffed pegasus. The crying must have tired her out because she was fast asleep within seconds. "I swear," I whispered, closing my eyes. "You're going to turn me into a softy."

...

Leo POV

"Leo..." My eyelids lifted, coming face-to-face with big sapphire orbs. "Leo!"

"What is it?" I groaned, looking towards the clock. "Suntory, it's 8 a.m."

She smiled. "I made breakfast!"

I was wide awake. "You did what now?"

Taking my hand, she pulled me from the bed's warmth and into the kitchen. Sure enough, the table was set and there were multiple dishes from scrambled eggs to what looked like yogurt parfaits. Picking up a fork, I took a bite of one of the omelets. "Did you put bacon cheddar brats in this one?" I asked, noticing the strange texture.

"I sure did," she nodded, shyly gesturing to the others. "That one is an egg white omelette with skim cheese, that one has sharp cheddar with pieces of Canadian bacon, the one over there is made with part-skim mozzarella, and this one right here has four different kinds of cheese."

I raised an eyebrow, impressed that she had made all this by herself. "I've noticed that you have a wide variety of pancakes and parfaits. Care to tell me a little bit about them?"

"Blueberry, raspberry, chocolate chip, apple-cinnamon, and plain are the options for pancakes with the choices of apricot, maple, strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry syrups to chose from," she pointed to each short stack in turn. "All the yogurt is low-fat, and the granola is made from a recipe that I found on Donnie's computer. There's strawberry, blueberry, plain, and raspberry."

"Color me impressed," I smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And you made all this by yourself?"

She nodded. "Mommy, Daddy and I took turns making breakfast. We loved cooking for one another, and I thought..." she sheepishly looked up at me. "That it could my thank you for taking me in."

A warning flag went up in my head. A six-year-old wouldn't have been able to make any of this even if they tried. The sudden grammar and vocabulary change nearly slipped past me, if it hadn't been the tone she was using. Narrowing my eyes, I looked her up and down. She still looked like a normal little girl- My heart skipped a beat: her eyes were a dark brown, almost matching her hair.

"I smell food!"

My head snapped to the right as Mikey suddenly appeared in his bedroom doorway, a string of drool dangling from his slack jaw. When I had looked back down at her, her eyes had returned to their normal sapphire color as she began waking everyone else up. What the heck was that?

Master, who had emerged from his own room a few seconds before she had reached him, grasped my shoulder. "Is something the matter, my son?"

I shook my head. "I thought I saw her eyes change color, but it's nothing, Dad, I must have still been groggy."

"Best keep an eye on her, for now." He patted my shoulder. "But right now, let's enjoy this morning's feast."


	5. Kidnapped

Hello, everyone! I have a mini chapter for you! I don't own rights to TMNT! Please leave a review!

* * *

 **Kidnapped**

 **Master POV**

I was awakened to the sounds of movement coming from the kitchen. Judging from the hushed whispers, Michelangelo had been caught sneaking a late night snack by Suntory and was currently trying to persuade her not to tell. I couldn't help but smirk as she bartered with him for nearly ten minutes and walked away with half the snack. To my complete and utter surprise, she snuck into Leonardo's room, then Raphael's room, and finally retired to her own. Curious, I had opened my eyes to observe her actions and found it interesting that she had left a quarter of the half she had received with the two brothers, taking nothing for herself. She was such a caring and thoughtful child.

...

 **Mikey POV**

"Come on," I whispered, tapping my foot. Thanks to me getting my butt caught last night, I had to agree to entertain her for a few hours. She had been merciful in not forcing me to play dress up or some other girly game. Instead, she had asked to play hide-and-seek. The game started ten minutes ago and I was already bored. I was currently hiding in one of the neighboring tunnels since Master had warned not to go too far for her sake. "How long does it take to find a six foot talking turtle as styling and cool as me?"

"Honestly, two minutes tops," she suddenly appeared around the corner, tagging me with a big smile on her face. "I wanted to see how long you would last."

I smiled, kneeling and playfully tickling her. "Oh really?"

Her head fell back, filling the tunnels with her tinkling laughter as I swung her up into the air and catching her. Back on her feet, she grew serious. "Your turn to count, okay? Remember, you have to count to the number twice your age."

I mock saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"

 **...**

 **Normal POV**

A figure crouched behind one of the corners, cautiously peering around the corner to see the little girl. She was smiling up at something out of sight, but it didn't matter. Ever so slowly, it reached into their pocket and pressed the homing device's trigger.

It smiled as she began running in its direction. With lightning fast movements, it pulled her into the shadows, one hand on her mouth and the other administrating a sedative. "Playtime is over, sweetheart," they murmured, cradling the little girl. "It's time to go home, Project S."

 **...**

 **Leo POV**

I looked up from polishing my katanas as MIkey barreled past. "Where's the fire?"

He flinched, turning around and rubbing the back of his head. "I lost her."

My movements stalled. "What?" With a thud, I landed in front of him, our faces nearly touching. "What do you mean you lost her?"

"She caught me sneaking a snack last night and forced me to agree to play with her today in exchange for not telling Donnie that I had a little of his double chocolate brownies," he held up his hands, waving them in the air. "We were playing hide-and-seek, I was tickling her one second, and the next...she disappeared!"

Donnie poked his head of his lab, pointing to Raphael's room. "Check in there. She likes to hide in his room when she's feeling prankster-ish."

He barreled through the bedroom door, nearly knocking it off its hinges and earning a bellow. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Mikey ran and hid behind my back as the sounds of cursing came from within the room. Not two seconds later, Raphael appeared, wearing a look of pure rage.

"Focus, Raph," I snapped my fingers in his face, drawing his attention. "Suntory wasn't with you?"

Judging from the murder's intent in his eye, his anger just grew tenfold. "WHAT?!"

I ran to the lab, furiously typing away at one of the computers. "Donnie, help me pull up all the surveillance footage!" Thankfully, MIkey had followed the rule of staying close to the home base, so it was fairly easy to find the footage. It showed Mikey tickling her, him turning to begin counting, and she running down one of the tunnels to hide. When we looked at the footage of the tunnel she had taken, we found... "Nothing?"

"There!" Raphael pointed to the very top of the screen. "Something moved!" Sure enough, something had grabbed her from the shadows. "It looks like a human, but how did they get past all the silent alarms and obstacles?"

"We can't worry about that right now," Master appeared form the kitchen, licking what appeared to be chocolate from his claws. "You must find her before any harm comes to her." He suddenly grew serious...dead serious as he studied the footage. "The human appears to be wearing a symbol...it looks a gesture with vines encircling it."

...

 **Normal POV**

"It seems that they have taken good care of you," a young woman with shoulder length silver hair and violet eyes studied the girl. She smiled as Suntory's eyes opened and rose to meet her own. "Hey, there, sleepy." Her arms tightened around the girl as she began to squirm, pushing herself away from the woman. "Come now," she chided, her smile becoming laced with wickedness. "Is that anyway to treat your caretaker? I've come to take you _home_."


	6. Captivity

Hello, everyone! I have another chapter for you! I don't own rights except for the plot and Suntory! Please leave a review and let me what you think!

* * *

 **Captivity**

 **Master Splinter POV**

"Any leads yet, my son?" I asked, resting a paw on Donatello's shoulder.

He had been working non-stop researching the symbol that we had seen on the intruder's clothing and had just consumed his sixth cup of coffee, caffeinated. My other sons had taken to the sewers, searching for any leads that may assist us. "I found a few things," he nodded, pulling up screens that showed his brothers. "You guys are not going to like this..."

 **...**

 **Suntory POV**

"Minerva!" I struggled against her hold, causing her to drop me unceremoniously. I couldn't believe it! How did she know that I was alive?! Raphael had told me that she- My thoughts screeched to a halt as a masculine figure appeared next to us, my eyes widening. "No! Troy!"

The man smirked, revealing white teeth. His equally white hair was cut military length while his lime green eyes sickeningly studied my body. He still wore his pastel gray jeans and dark green tee that was decorated with lime green tribal patterns. "They have taken good care of you, haven't they, Suntory?

I cringed as his dark tanned hand cupped my face. "Stop it! Don't touch me!" Tears prickled my eyes as he roughly pinned me to the wall, a hand at my throat. "How did you-"

He tsked. "You honestly thought we wouldn't survive that little mugging?" His grip tightened, choking me. "Naughty girl, you should have known better." Darkness overcame my vision as he smiled wickedly, his grip tightening. "Time for your nap, Suntory."

...

A cry tore from my throat as I was thrown into an all too familiar room. I didn't have to look up, I already knew where I was. They had thrown me inside a box, a clear box with glass sides so they could study me from every angle possible. Ever since I could remember, I had lived in this glass box, and I had almost forgotten how it felt not to have privacy...

"You remember what to do, right?" Troy's voice came from a speaker near the doorway. I nodded, but stayed on the floor. "Now be a good girl, we don't want to have another accident."

A shiver shot down my spine at his words. Hastily, I stood and held out my arms as a machine scanned my body. I hated this particular machine with good reason: as it scanned my body, it stripped me of my clothing, leaving nothing to shield me from the outside world.

"What is that you're wearing?" Minerva asked, pointing out my necklace.

My hands clenched as fear grew in my chest. Would they take it from me? "It was a gift," I murmured, looking down at the pendant. "I really like it."

"Let me guess, those homeless people down in the sewers gave it to you. It looks rather cheap, did they take steal it from the dollar store?" She threw back her head laughing. "You can keep it, it is of no use to us."

Homeless people? A little spark came to life in my head. They didn't know about the turtles or Master Splinter! I hugged myself as it returned my clothing, finished scanning.

"Good girl," Troy crooned from where he was looking over the analysis. "Begin extracting DNA samples."

I barely flinched as little mosquito-like machines covered my body, each collecting my DNA and slipping through the air holes in the high ceiling. Those things used to bother me, with their buzzing sound and the rashes that they sometimes left behind, but I had gotten used to them.

"Her physical appearance has yet to be altered. The last dose should have taken effect by now." Minerva whispered, looking over Troy's shoulder. "What do you think?"

"I think we should administer a dose." He turned his attention towards me, his eyes flashing dangerously. "But first, we need to perform a more examinations."

...

I collapsed onto the simple mattress that they had given me, curling into a ball and holding my head. They had tested me for over ten hours, throwing mathematical to advanced physics problems my way to test my intellect. They were surprised to see how smart I was now, but they wanted to see me advance at a quicker pace than I currently was.

"You sleep well," Minerva called as the lights turned off and her footsteps faded into silence. "We continue in the morning." The sound of a door closing echoed loudly before it too faded into silence.

Once again, I was all alone in the dark. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I grasped the pendant around my neck. "Raphael...Leonardo...Master Splinter...Donatello...Michelangelo..." I whispered, tracing the engraving with my fingertips. "Please find me soon..."

 **...**

 **Raphael POV**

A shiver shot down my spine as I entered a tunnel that lead to the north end of town. Donnie had informed us that the symbol was tied with a small hospital that focused on special cases. They had shut down though because of their lack of sponsors and their medieval methods. The hospital was reopened thanks to the original owner's daughter that was responsible for a big breakthrough in cancer treatment. Humans could be such monsters when they wanted to be. I spun around as the sound of footsteps followed me.

"Easy, Raph," Leo momentarily held up both hands. "It's just me."

"What do you want?" I growled, not liking the fact that he had found me in this particular tunnel.

"You can't just barge in there with guns blazing," he began. "They may try to use her as a shield if we attempt to catch them by surprise, not to mention that she is completely at their mercy so long as she is writhing their grasp. We have to come up with a strategy that will keep her from getting hurt."

"I know, I know, but I can't just sit around and wait It's been two weeks! I have to do _something_!"

Leo's Bluetooth beeped, signaling a call. "What is it?" His eyes grew wide. "They have an idea of how to get her back."

 **...**

 **April POV**

"Act natural, okay?" Donnie's voice chirped in my ear as I entered the giant white hospital. "Don't walk too fast."

"This isn't the first time that I've done this," I chided under my breath, sighing. "Just relax. I'll get her out and bring her home in no time." I smoothies my lab coat as I approached the front desk, my lips lifting into a flirtatious smile as the security guard asked for my business. "Sorry, I'm a new hire. Can you direct-"

"So you're the new lab assistant for the treatment laboratory," he sighed, pointing at the map. "Floor twelve second door on the right side, as you can see for yourself."

"Thanks so very much," I waved, entering the elevator and pushing the correct button. "Mr. Grouch..."

"April, focus!" Raphael's voice yelled in my ear, causing me to flinch in pain.

The door opened on the fourth floor and I made room for two other people dressed in lab coats, a man and a woman. They pushed the "B" button, showing that they were heading to the basement. They weren't the cleaning crew or security guards, so why would they be heading down to the basement?

"I think we should administer the dose after lunch," the woman commented. "That way one of us can watch her for any sighs of-"

The man interjected, his eyes glaring my way. "Improvement."

"Those two are definitely hiding something," Leo's voice murmured. "Better double back once you get to the top."

I slipped past them as the elevator doors opened on the 12th floor, slipping out of sight as the doors closed again. I entered one of the other elevators once the light above the first elevator began its descent. "Have you scanned the building yet, Donnie?"

"98% complete," he chirped. "But there's a lock on the remaining two and its focused on-"

"The basement." I finished, already disliking where this was going. My worry for the little girl grew as the doors opened, revealing a hallway that was lined with doors. "Any ideas of which one to try first?" Their silence told me to pick. The first few doors were your typical storage and laundry rooms. "Two doors left," I whispered, glancing between the two doors. "Each representing the remaining 2% that Donnie needs." Opening the left, I found a room lined with tubes that contained a strange glowing substance; another store room of some sort. The secret behind their treatments?

"Where is that dose we asked for?" I spun around to see the woman from before standing the doorway. "Seriously, these new assistants are getting dumber every day. Do I have to do everything myself?" she sighed, walking past me and filling a syringe with the strange glowing substance. "Follow me and I will show you the procedure."

I wordlessly followed her through the remaining door and my heart literally stopped as five yells came through my Bluetooth. In the middle of the giant room sat a glass box holding Suntory! She looked absolutely miserable!

The syringe was thrusted into my hands and shoved through the only entrance to the cube. "Give her the dose then come back to the door." The woman instructed, gesturing for me to hurry.

Swallowing the lump in my throat and the panic in my chest, I walked up to where she was curled up on the mattress. She glared up at me as I knelt next to her, her eyes filled with fear and overwhelming sadness. The hand holding the syringe tightened, almost snapping it in two. She showed signs of malnourishment as well as dehydration and dementia, judging from how thin she had become and how glazed her eyes were, not to mention the scratches and other minor wounds that covered her body.

"Please..." she whispered, her eyes beginning to water as she caught sight of the syringe. "No more..."

"Suntory," I whispered, leaning in and removing my rectangular glasses. "We will get you out of here, I promise, but you have to hold on until tonight at least."

Her eyes widened and a spark of hope appeared within her sapphire orbs. "April?"

The woman banged on the glass. "Get a move on! We don't have all day!"

My arm shot out, burying the needle into the mattress underneath her figure and emptying its contents. "Stay in this position as long as you can until we can rescue you, we don't want them to inject you with that strange stuff. Don't lose faith." I instructed, patting her head briefly as I stood and walked away.

 **...**

 **Suntory POV**

They were coming to save me... I buried my face in the mattress as my tears overflowed. They were going to rescue me! My heart felt like it was going to burst with relief! I didn't even notice that Minerva and Troy continued with the tests until they entered the box, instantly filling me with fear as they approached. "What are you doing?"

Minerva held up a syringe filled with the strange substance. "We know that the assistant was too soft to inject you with the dose," she sneered as Troy held me down. "So prepare yourself, because I guarantee that this is going to hurt."


	7. Recover

Hello, everyone! I have another chapter for you! I don't own rights to the TMNT characters! Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

WARNING! THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN SENSITIVE MATERIAL! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

* * *

 **Recover**

 **Master Splinter POV**

"We can't wait until tonight, you saw the condition she was in!" April practically shouted into the headpiece. "We have to get her out of there! I'm sure that they realized that I'm not a lab assistant by now and are thinking of giving her the dose!"

"We mustn't waste time, my sons," I nodded. "Go and rescue her."

 **...**

 **Raphael POV**

I literally saw red as we made our way to the basement and entered the dark room. My anger tripled as my ears registered the sound of muffled cries. We literally threw ourselves at the outline of the glass cube, but bounced off as if we were little bugs. What was this thing made of?!

A small figure pressed itself against the corner closest to Leo and I. "You came..."

Relief flooded my body at her voice but my worry grew at the raw hoarseness in it. "That's right, we're right here. We came just like April promised." Her figure suddenly collapsed, falling to the floor. "Suntory? Suntory!" I rammed myself against the glass repeatedly.

"On three!" Leo shouted. "Three!"

We all rammed two sides instead of dividing and conquering, Mikey and I ramming one while Donnie and Leo rammed the other. The cube shook at first then finally shattered after the fourth ram. Ever so gently, I picked her still figure up and slipped back down to the sewers through the plumbing chutes. Heat was rolling off her in waves, nearly making me drop her in surprise to how high her temperature was. "Donnie, she's not looking too good!" I shouted as we reached home base. "Do something!"

He took her into her room where April was waiting with a life support system. I punched the ground as the door closed behind them. What if we were too late?! A hand came down on my shoulder, but I shoved it away and disappeared into my own room, slamming the door behind me.

 **...**

 **Leo POV**

I shook my head as his door slammed shut. We needed to keep our heads cool if we are going to keep Suntory safe from that institution. Something nudged my arm and I turned to see Mikey holding out an orange Crush. Bingeing was his way of coping with stress and it looked like he had it bad. "It wasn't your fault, Mikey," I said, accepting his offering and placing a hand on his shoulder. "None of us blame you for what happened."

"I'm not thinkin about that," he mumbled around a mouthful of Cheetos. "What were they doing to her in there? Why her?" He swallowed his mouthful and took a swig of his own Crush. " I mean, she's a normal human girl! She's not anything special, except for the fact that she wasn't scared of us when she first saw us."

I raised an eyebrow as he threw a few chocolate chip cookies in his mouth. "Keep it up and you're going to have a heart attack from all the junk food you're bingeing on."

He waved my words away. "What happened to her, anyway? I could feel some major heat waves coming off her and I know I wasn't imagining things. Did they make her sick or something?"

"Where are all these questions coming from?" I asked, impressed with his concern for Suntory. He must really be worried about her to be eating like he was. "And you better pace yourself, that's your third Crush, fourth package of cookies, and you've gone through two party sized bags of chips."

"Let him be, my son," Master Splinter came up next to us, shaking his head. "We all could take this time to gather our senses and minds while we wait." He snatched the cookie from Mikey's hand. "Although, I do suggest you put the food down before-" Mikey's eyes drifted closed and fell to the floor. "You crash from your sugar high."

I moved him to the couch as he began to snore loudly. "Seriously, you should have known better than to binge on all that junk food."

 **...**

 **April POV**

I brushed her bangs away from her closed eyes. "I'm so sorry, Suntory, we tried our best to get you out there before they could do anything horrible to you." Tears prickled my eyes as she whimpered, her face twisting with pain. "We will try everything we can to make sure you get better."

"Need a break?" Raphael asked, coming up on my left. "You've been watching her for the past six hours. There's food and drinks in the kitchen."

"I'm fine," I shook my head, blinking away my tears. "I'm not leaving her side until she wakes up."

"I'm not one for this emotional stuff, but...I feel the same way." He sighed, but a look of understanding crossed his face. "I'll bring you a Pepper and an apple salad." He froze halfway out the door.

"Raph?" I raised an eyebrow as his features tightened and he began mumbling to himself. "Hey, Raph, you keep talking to yourself like that and people will think you're crazy."

His head shot upward, scowling before he disappeared into the direction of the kitchen. "I'm not crazy, but my idea might be." My worry for the turtle grew as the air filled with the sounds of clanging and the hum of a blender. Not two minutes later he reappeared in the doorway, holding a glass. "Sit her up, will ya?"

I nodded, grasping her shoulders and lifting her to a sit up position. The smell of vanilla and berries wafted me as he tipped a little of the glass's contents between her parted lips. A shake or smoothie of some sort?

It sounded like the room inhaled sharply as her eyes shot open, revealing glazed chocolate orbs. Her pupils were so small they were almost nonexistent, and there was unfathomable fear and anger within their depths. There was no sign of the happy little girl that we had come to know.

"Easy, Suntory," I coaxed as she attempted to break my hold but failed. "Looks like you won't be able to move quite yet. Whatever they gave you took a real toll on your body."

"Drink up," Raphael growled, grasping her chin and tilting it upward. "Trust me, you'll feel better." Her eyes widened in shock and cleared briefly as the purée entered her mouth before locking on Raphael's own hazel eyes. He trickled the last of its contents between her lips and gestured for me to lie her back down as her eyes drifted closed.

 **...**

 **Raphael POV**

I took over watch in case she woke up again after April left to get some rest. As I watched over her, the memory of seeing her eyes glazed and brown kept flashing across my mind. So Leo had been right about her eyes changing colors, but what did it mean? I nearly jumped out of my skin as she suddenly sat up, her wide eyes darting around the room almost as if she was having a spasm.

She was trembling and sweat trickled down her face, making her look as if she were crying. Her lips were quivering and there was a weird blue tint entering her skin. Grabbing her favorite fleece blanket from the closet, I wrapped it around her shoulders.

I froze as she flinched away from my touch. Was she suddenly afraid of me? "Just what did they do to you?" I whispered, unable to believe what my eyes were seeing. The fear in her eyes had grown tenfold and she was trying to put as much distance between us as she could. Setting my jaw, I reached forward, wrapped my arms her, and pressed her against my plastron.

She screamed the second she saw my hands reach for her. I grunted as she fought against me, her arms and legs attempting to shove me away, but I gently pinned her arms to her sides and lifted her high enough into the air so that her legs wouldn't knock against anything. "Let me go!" My chest clenched at her fearful cry. "Mommy! Help me!" Her breathing grew ragged and uneven as she continued to struggle, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. "Mommy, they're hurting me! Make them stop!"

"You aren't with them anymore," I growled, wrapping the blanket tighter around her, using it as a cocoon to stop her struggling. "and your mom isn't here!"

Her movements stalled at my words, her teary eyes rising to lock with my own. "Help me..."

An idea popped up in my head. "Suntory, listen closely," I pointed to my mask. "What color is this?"

"...red..." she answered almost hesitantly, her glazed eyes swimming in and out of focus.

"And what am I?"

She blinked a few times, her eyes growing clearer and becoming more with each blink. "A turtle...wearing a red mask..." Recognition and joy filled her eyes. "Raphael!"

I loosened the blanket and sighed in relief as she flung her arms around my neck. "There's our girl."

 **...**

 **Leo POV**

I woke to find Master Splinter shaking me. "She's awake."

Bolting out of bed, I ran to Suntory's room and smiled in relief to see her upright and smiling up at Raph as he teased MIkey about his binge crash. I stopped Donnie as he slipped by, heading for the lab. "Am I seeing things, or does she suddenly resemble a smurf?"

He shushed me. "Don't bring it up, okay? It may be a side effect from whatever they gave her and we don't need her to have a meltdown or another PTSD attack."

"PTSD?"

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," he explained, looking back over his shoulder at Suntory. "Whatever they did to her has scarred her, and she may suffer from the memories for years to come. She could be set off like a bomb by a certain word, phrase, color, anything that could remind her of what happened; those are called triggers and they literally could be anything."

"You said 'another', do you mean she's already had one?"

He gave me an incredulous look. "Yes and somehow you slept right through it."

"What happens during an attack?" I asked, genuinely worried.

"She relives the memories at the point of their occurrence. In other words," Donnie lowered his voice. "She loses all capability to distinguish the difference between reality and memory, becoming a prisoner to her own mind and is trapped in a loop that she is powerless to escape. We're lucky that Raph was able to pull her from the one this morning," his eyes locked with mine. "We could have lost her permanently to it."

I nodded in understanding. We may have rescued her from the cube, but we had a yet to save her from the aftermath of the events. A smile lifted my lips as she called me over, her arms wide and waiting for a hug.


	8. Mother Knows Best

Hey, everyone! Welcome to another chapter! A big thanks to those who are taking the time to give this story a chance. I don't own rights to TMNT! Please let me know what you think in the comments!

* * *

 **Mother Knows Best**

 **Master Splinter POV**

"So," I murmured, lifting my arm as Suntory snuggled farther into my side. She had fallen asleep next to me while I was meditating on the couch, giving me an opportunity to speak freely with Donatello. "Our little one has wilted."

"She hasn't eaten anything solid for the past two weeks," my son nodded, checking her vitals with his watch. "Drinking the smoothie is the only thing keeping her alive, but it won't be enough."

I looked down at the sleeping girl. Since she had been brought back home, she hasn't smiled since Raphael pulled her from the attack she had experienced. Her strength failed her when she began having night terrors that left her in a state of delirium and confusion. "Maybe we should attempt a different approach."

 **~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~**

 **Leonardo POV**

Like the ninja's we were, Raphael and I snuck up to the surface. Our mission: find Suntory's mother. Problem is, she was one of the slipperiest humans we have ever encountered. The most recent records of her whereabouts put her near Manhattan, and that was over ten years ago. All Donnie could find was a baby picture of Suntory in the arms of a brown haired woman.

"What exactly do we tell her when we see her?" Raphael asked as we combed the streets from one of the rooftops. "That she was irresponsible and the worst mother of the year?"

"We don't tell her anything," I responded, searching for anyone that was remotely similar to the picture that we had. We knew that plastic surgery and dyes could greatly alter her appearance, so Donnie created scouters that would detect any unnatural changes in a person's face. The watch went off and it began leading us down 58th street. It had found a match and was focused on a woman with ombré colored hair and appeared to be around the age that we were looking for. I motioned for Raph to follow her on the opposite end of the street and we began tailing her.

The woman stopped a few times, conversing with multiple people, and then moving on her way. I slid to a stop as she disappeared into the Museum of Art and Design. What business did she have there? Raph and I slipped in through the skylight in time to see her approach a painting as an announcement went through the intercoms that the museum would be closing soon. Up close, we could definitely see a resemblance, whatever was left of it.

The woman in the picture that Donnie had pulled up had high cheekbones and a heart shaped face, her bright blue eyes twinkling with joy as she held her baby girl. This woman seemed like an empty shell. Her eyes, which were shadowed, were a dull gray and her face had sunken in, giving her an almost skeletal appearance. Her figure was sickeningly thin, at least of what was visible from her bleached skinny jeans and cream halter top.

My attention averted to the painting as she brushed her fingertips against it. A kitten with one blue and and one brown eye was sitting in a puddle, it's attention on a hand that was extending from the shadows. "I don't know why you followed me," she called out. "But you must be the ones that saved her."

What were we supposed to do? Answer her? Raphael looked to me and gestured for me to speak. I shook my head. If we answered her, we would risk revealing our identities and existence.

"You don't have to show yourselves to me," she continued. "No one would believe me, a crazy drug addict, anyway. I haven't exactly been the best example of humanity." A hint of sadness entered her voice as tears trickled down her hollow cheeks. "Thank you for saving her..."

"She misses you." I shot Raphael a look as the words left his lips. Idiot!

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that feeding someone's insanity is the worst thing to do to someone like me?" she scoffed. "She probably doesn't even remember me, the one who was supposed to love and protect her but instead gave her over to complete strangers because her worthless mother needed a fix." Her fist slammed into the wall next to the painting, her knuckles cracking loudly and blood beginning to ooze from the split skin. "I tried seeing her, but they turned me away each time saying that she was busy with new friends and living a happier life than I could ever give her. They kept me from my daughter! I tried to get her away from them once I came clean, but they refused! They kept reminding me of the fact that I had given her up and then they told me that she never wanted anything to do with me because she hated me!"

"Vanilla shake." Her figure stiffened at Raphael's words. "You made her a vanilla smoothie with raspberries and strawberries after she took a nap to help her cool down." He paused, letting his words sink in as she began to tremble and openly sobA. "She remembered how you made it. She thinks about you all the time. She has night terrors that scare her so much that she cries out for you, and she needs your help."

"What am I supposed to do?" she sniffled. "I can't even help myself..."

I gestured for him not to answer and allow me to jump in. "Those people have done horrible things to her and she refuses to eat anything besides the vanilla shake."

"Oh my God," she whispered, hugging herself. "What did they do to my little girl?..." Shaking herself, she pulled out a little notepad and pen. "I'm writing down a few things that might help you. I'll place it here and I will walk away." She tucked the folded sheet of paper between the painting and the wall, then stood and walked away. "Please, leave a note and tell me if any of these help..."

Without my knowing, my judgement of the woman had slowly changed during our little encounter. The woman that seemed selfish and greedy at first...turned out to be a broken hearted mother longing for her child. We snagged the note once the museum had closed for the night and met our brothers on the roof.

 **~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~**

 **Master Splinter POV**

My ear twitched. The sewers were suddenly overly quiet, but why? There was nothing showing up on the camera monitors and my sons weren't here, it was just Suntory and I. Gently, I lifted her to place her on the couch so that I could better investigate, and my fur stood on end. She had grown cold and my sensitive hearing picked up the faintest of heartbeats. "Suntory, it's time to wake up," I said, placing her in a sitting up position. Panic filled me as her body slumped to the side. Grabbing her shoulders, I began to call her name loudly and told her that the brothers would be back any second. Thankfully, my words were proven true as they came barreling into the room.

"We found her and she gave us a list of things to try," Leonardo held up a folded piece of paper as the others disappeared into her room to deposit the items they were each carrying. "Has she eaten anything?"

"Not a thing, and we need to hurry," I replied. "She won't wake up." Donnie was instantly by her side, holding her favorite fleece blanket. My interest peeked Raphael place a strange object against her lips. It was an odd orange color and was wrinkly. "Is that...a dried apricot?"

He nodded. "It's one of the first fruits she tried and she supposedly loves them this way." I gasped as her lips moved ever so slightly, parting just enough for a little piece of the dried fruit to enter her mouth.

Her jaw ever so slightly began to move but there was no sign that she was swallowing wrapping the blanket around her, Donnie grabbed her water glass and trickled a little through her lips. He then grabbed his pocket flashlight as she finally swallowed and gently opened her mouth to peer inside. A look on the border lines of grotesque crossed his face as he released her jaw and returned the flashlight to his pouch. "No wonder she isn't eating anything. Her throat is covered with pus pockets that are almost the size of dimes."

"In that case, she'll need these." We looked up to see April still dressed as an undercover lab assistant holding multiple vials and medicinal drugs. Handing them off to Donnie, she shed her coat and draped it over the couch as she gathered Suntory into her lap.

 **~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~L~A~F~~**

 **Raphael POV**

The smell of something floral and fruity yet woody wafted my nose as she settled next to Master, very different from her usual nut and velvet scent. "Are you trying yet _another_ perfume?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," she huffed, casting a wary look in my direction. "What's the matter? Is it making me smell like you?"

My answer stalled as Suntory shifted, burying her face in April's neck. There were tears trickling down her cheeks and she was clinging to April as if she was her life jacket. "Mommy..."

April seemed to bristle a little. "What?"

"You're perfume, it smells like the one her mom was wearing." Leo nodded as he came up to stand next to the couch. "Except you make it smell...nutty."

"What was that?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Your perfume is similar to to hers, so that explains why she reacted like she did," Donnie pipped up as he began measuring the different liquids that April had brought with her. "She is suffering from mental, emotional, and physical trauma, and finding something that makes her feel safe was out top priority." He knelt before Suntory, turning her to face him. "You don't mind standing in as her mom for a while, do you?"

She blushed heavily but nodded. "How long are we talking?"

"If my plan works, no more than a week." He held up the biggest syringe I have ever seen. "Raph, can you open her mouth for me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "If you think that I'm going to force her to open her mouth so you can stab her with that thing, guess again."

"I'm just going to squirt it in the back of her throat," he assured. "I'm not going to prick her anywhere, I promise. She just needs to swallow it."

Shaking my head, I gently pried her mouth open, internally flinching as she began to cry and attempt to shove me away. "Sorry, Suntory, but it's going to help." Her eyes snapped open as Donnie squirted the contents into her mouth, cutting off her cries. I tilted her head upward when her throat remained motionless. She looked up at me, her blue orbs slowly clearing as I told her that she needed to swallow the stuff. "Don't make me let the Mikey eat all the treats I got for you," I playfully threatened. "And I got you some pretty good things."

Her throat moved, telling me she swallowed it. "That's...not fair," she blinked, her fingers rising to touch her throat as she swayed, probably exhausted with her attempt to shove me away. She hasn't eaten anything solid for the past two weeks, so it was no surprise that she had gotten pretty weak. "It doesn't...hurt anymore..."

I cringed at the rawness in her voice. She hadn't spoken for the past few days, and who could blame her with how horrible she sounded? "You hungry?"

She nodded, resting back against April. "Mommy...that's a turtle..."

April sighed, brushing hair away from Suntory's face. "That's right, his name is Raphael."

"He is...a big turtle..." Suntory mumbled, her eyes swimming in and out of focus. "I'm a little...hungry..."

Smiling, I held up the bag of dried apricots. "How about we start with something a little softer than these? Would you like something cold or hot?"

* * *

A little background on this chapter:

I got the idea of her sickness from one that I had during college, mono stage 4. The doctors who examined me said that my case was the worst they have ever seen. My throat had swollen so much that I could barely drink water without tearing up with pain. They did some tests and discovered that my liver and spleen were on the verge of shutting down; I had been unable to eat anything for nearly two weeks before I finally went to see them. They made me a special concoction that numbed the back of my throat long enough for me to eat. It wasn't until a month after the diagnosis that I finally was in the clear (AKA my levels were back to normal).

I made a few tweaks here and there so that hers wasn't exact. Don't worry, Suntory hasn't caught a disease or anything like that. She will be okay...for now. Until next time!


	9. Keeping Suntory Out of Trouble

Hey, everyone! Welcome to another chapter! Sorry for the big wait, I have had a lot on my plate for the past few weeks. Anyway, I don't own rights to TMNT! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Keeping Suntory Satisfied**

 **Master Splinter POV**

I smiled as Donnie announced that he was going to the surface to gather the proper medication for her recovery. "It is a relief to hear that our little flower will be back to her usual self." He nodded, darting up the tunnel. My ear twitched as the tell-tale creaking of a bed sounded from her room. "Get back into bed, young one," I called as the sound of a door creaking filled the air. "You are not yet well enough to be out and about." When I didn't receive an answer, I turned and sweat dropped at the sight before me: Suntory was passed out and being carried by Raphael. He froze the second my eyes fell on them and then he shuffled backwards until he was back inside her room. "My son, maybe it is wiser that you make the food and take it too her instead of bringing her to the table."

* * *

 **Raphael POV**

I slipped her back under the covers, pulling the blankets to her chin. She had grown so light she nearly weighed nothing now. I couldn't help but think of how bad she looked before Donnie had discovered the name of her condition: Mono for short. A groan rose in my chest as I looked at the time.

 _Flashback Start_

 _"What do you mean that it will be my job?!" I nearly bellowed, my face beginning to feel very warm. "B-but you should be the one helping her with those things!" April smacked my plastron, her finger inches from my face. "Shouldn't a girl help a girl with those things?!" She lightly smacked my cheek, shaking her head as she explained that Suntory was old enough to take care of THOSE things and that all I needed to do was wake her up every few hours so she could eat and do her business. "That's it?"_

 _She rolled her eyes before she fixed them on mine. "This is a critical time for her. Donnie said that her condition was so bad that we have to get whatever we can into her when she's awake. That's why you have to squirt that medicine into her throat so that its numbed and she can eat to her heart's content." Her finger tapped my plastron with every other word she said next. "Whatever she wants, she gets. Doesn't matter if its ice cream covered cherry cheesecake or an 8 oz steak covered in garlic Parmesan shrimp."_

 _I narrowed my eyes. "What is she, some sort of princess?"_

 _April looked ready to murder me. "Raph, you and Leo are the closest to her; I can't imagine that she would feel more comfortable with anyone else but you two." Her harsh expression softened slightly. "I have a job and my own life and since you decided to bring her down here to live, you are all going to have to buckle in for the ride." I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away. "You know I'm right." I grunted. "Good."_

 _Flashback Ends_

"Suntory," I called, returning with a glass of the smoothie in my hand. "Hey, time to wake up." She moaned as she rolled over to her left side. "Come on, get up." I pulled the covers back and nearly dropped the glass in my hand: there was someone lying where Suntory was supposed to be. The glass clinked as I set it on her bedside table as my other hand reached for my sai. My eyes nearly boggled out of my head as they curled into a ball and became- "Suntory?"

She rolled back over towards me, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Raphael?" I couldn't help but cringe; her voice was almost unrecognizable! My stature relaxed as her arms rose and blinked up at me, revealing blue orbs. "I'm hungry..."

I knelt next to her bed, handing her the glass as well as the little notepad that that she had been using to communicate when she was awake. "What do you want to eat? Make a list and then you can go back to sleep once you take care of your business." Her face scrunched then stuck her tongue out as she placed the glass in my hand then darted around me. "I'll wake you again when the food is here, okay?"

Leo came in as she slipped through the door, a weird look on his face. "She looks different..."

"She's sick," I shrugged. "What do you expect?"

He gave me a look that screamed "duh". "No, she looks different." His eyes narrowed as she came back in, handed him the note, and disappeared under the covers. "I can't quite place it, but something is off." I shot Leo a look as he pulled the covers back, waving the notepad and staring at Suntory with a look of disbelief. "What?" He wordlessly handed me the notepad. "Let's see... Mini corn dogs, crinkle fries, Reese's peanut butter cup concrete mixer, double bacon deluxe cheeseburger with no onion, chocolate covered strawberry shake, pretzels, cheese-" I paused. "Wait, what?"

"Right?!" He let the covers fall and sighed. "I told her that I would wake her up once the food gets here, so I guess I better get up top. Oh, wait," he paused, hovering inside the door frame with the notepad extended. "Unless you want to take on my shift-"

I snatched it from his hand, grunting as I walked past. "Not happening."

 **...**

 **Leo POV**

As soon as Raph left, I lifted the covers and studied the sleeping girl. When I had seen her walking to the bathroom, I swore that she was taller and had stranger facial features. But there was no doubt that there was a twelve-year-old figure in the bed. Everything halted; twelve?! The more I studied her sleeping form the more changes I saw. Her legs were definitely longer and her facial features had changed a little. Her hair had changed a little bit as well, it appeared to have gained some copper highlights...or had she always had those? I froze as my eyes feel on her face: the one eye facing upward, her left eye, was a dark brown and studying me. "You're awake," I said slowly.

Her eye narrowed. "...cold..." I almost didn't recognize her voice; it was so low and had a harsh tone to it. "...blanket..." In one smooth motion, she reached forward and drew the covers back over her figure.

"I know I wasn't imagining that, and that wasn't the first time that I have seen your eyes change colors." I said, pulling the covers back and fixing her with my sternest look. "Care to explain what I just saw?"

She slowly sat up, her bangs hiding her eyes and her hands clenching the tops of her periwinkle pajama pants. "...cold..." Her body shivered, and I swore that she grew a few shades of pale. "...Leonardo..." The way that she said my name, it was completely different than how she usually said it. She usually said my name with a smile and was closely followed by a giggle; today it sounded as if she despised my name and that I was the medicine that she disliked so much. My jaw clenched as she raised her head but it fell slack as her blue orbs looked up into mine. "...Leo...blankie...please..." She yawned, reaching for the blanket that was still in my hand. "...cold...hungry..."

"Don't worry," I murmured, wrapping her in the covers and helping her rest back into the pillow, and swallowing the lump in my throat. "Raph will be back soon with your food." Her hand slipped out from the covers and rested on top of my own as she nodded off. What in the world was going on?

...

The bed rustled as I sensed her coming closer. "It's kind of hard for me to do my meditation exercises when you keep moving," I opened an eye and almost laughed at her miserable expression. "What's wrong? You tired of sketching?" She nodded. "What about reading?" Her arms gestured to the piles of books around her bed. "Do you want something else to read?" A chuckle rose in my throat as her eyes nearly bugged out of her sockets in a 'You think?!' way. "What would you like to read?" I asked, handing her the notebook.

She furiously scribbled away for a good ten seconds and nearly threw it at me. The list was small, only six books, so how hard could it be? I looked down at the little note she had made at the bottom. "Please note: these books are by one of my favorite authors and will not accept any damaged copies." I looked to her. "How hard could it be to find six books?"

An almost wicked smile overcame her features as she spoke roughly, occasionally coughing into a tissue. "Mary Hoffman *cough* author, six-book series *cough* 'Stravaganza', *cough* translated *cough* four languages, *cough* very hard to find here in the United States. *cough* haven't seen a copy since..." she paused, a sad look entering her face as she finally managed to get rid of whatever glob of phlegm that was clogging her airway. "For a long time."

Standing, I placed a hand on her head. "I'll find those books, okay?" She made to snatch the notepad from my grasp but I easily pulled it away. "I promise, okay?" A small smile tilted her lips upward. I told her that I was going to the surface anyway to grab groceries and said that I would search for the books. "I won't return until I find them."

"...Don't stay out too long..."

 **...**

 **Mikey POV**

I darted to her room as the alarm sounded, shaking my head. "Time to get up, kiddo." In one swift moment, I pulled out from the under the covers and sent her in the way of the bathroom as I headed to the kitchen. "What would you like?"

She yawned, briefly glancing in my direction as she made the gesture for french fries and a strawberry shake before she made to close the door. I grabbed the doorknob, earning a grimace from her as I held up a syringe. She wordlessly opened her mouth and allowed me to squirt its contents into her throat before I allowed her to close the door. By the time she had reappeared, I had a large fry and small strawberry shake with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle on top; just the way she liked it.

A strange smile overcame her features as she almost inhaled the fries. "Is there any more?" I raised an eyebrow as she shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Keep it up and your going to get-" My words screeched to a halt as her orbs turned brown and hardened. "What would you like?" So her eyes changed color depending on how she was feeling... It's not uncommon, but it was interesting to witness. Wonder if anyone has noticed.

Her eyes seemed to glitter. "I want a double bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, BUT NO ONION-" she paused, emphasizing her distaste for onions. "-and some buttermilk ranch. If they ask if I want pink, a little is okay."

I couldn't help but be impressed. She was a girl who knew what she wanted. "Coming up, ma'am." She smiled, her eyes closing as she took a long sip of her shake.

 **...**

 **Donatello POV**

I blinked in surprise as she came into the lab, her bags finally starting to fade. "What's up?" She came up and rested her head against my shell, mumbling something about being thirsty. "The pop's in the fridge."

She shook her head. "...No more..."

My fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard as I sent a message to Leo who was currently out getting groceries. "Alright, Leo will grab you some, okay?" I turned and blinked in surprise as well as amusement as her demeanor became brighter and she was smiling. "While we wait, you want to play some Summoner Wars?" She nodded, climbing into my lap, grabbing one of the wireless back-lit keyboards and setting the color to a blueish-turquoise.

...

"I'm back!" Leo called, coming into the la. I smiled as he raised an eyebrow in her direction. With her cute cat-eared headphones, she didn't hear him come in and she was so engrossed with her arena battle that she didn't notice him placing an open can of Dr Spice. Ever so slowly, her hand crept from the keyboard to the can, lifting it to her lips, then placing it back in its original position. "She never once blinked, did she?"

I shook my head, accepting half of the the brown packages that I had him pick up. "Nope." We both chuckled as she threw her hands up, her battle ending in a loss. Tapping her head, I held up a brown package for her to see. A strangled scream erupted from her, a sound that we didn't know was possible to come from her, as she attempted to throw her arms around us both. "I told you that I would find them. Once Donnie heard, he wanted to pitch in too." Leo smiled, ruffling her hair as I held up a appendage.

"My only condition is that you stay in bed so that you can recover faster. And yes, we've noticed that you sneak out every night to see us leave and stay up until we get back. If you want these books, you have to start sleeping all night." She nodded, crossing her heart and reaching for the package. I blinked in surprise as she pecked my cheek, grabbed her drink, then disappeared into her room.

"Maybe now we can get some work done," Leo teased, tossing me a drink.

* * *

What do you guys think? I had a lot of fun with this chapter, so I hope you like! Please let me know what you think!


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